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Covington Explorers compete in Gatlinburg

Twenty-four young adults in the Covington Police Explorers program recently traveled to Gatlinburg, Tenn., to take part in the 2014 Boy Scouts of America Winterfest Competition, and placed in one of the competitions.

Post adviser and Covington Police officer Allan Seebaran said the Covington Explorers competed Feb. 8. The Winterfest Competition, held annually in Gatlinburg, is the largest gathering of Boy Scouts in the United States catering to Venture Crews and Explorer Posts.

Seebaran said more than 3,000 young adults attended the event this year.

The Covington Felony Traffic Stop Team — Kaitlyn Tippin, Deandre Brown, Catherine Little and Jeremy McGilton — placed third after competing against 23 teams. The other teams did not place, but still did well in their competitions, Seebaran said.

"Most of these kids have less than a year (of) experience, some less than six months, in the Exploring program. Not only did 90 percent of the Explorers have a first-time opportunity to demonstrate their training in a simulated real -life situation, they had an opportunity to bond and build better relationships with each other," he said. "I am very pleased with the results of this competition and very proud of every one of them."

The Covington Police Explorers meet every Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Covington Police Department, and train as police officers in a number of real-life situations. The program gives young adults tools and training needed to help them prepare for law enforcement careers.

“One of the Covington Police Explorers’ biggest supporters is The Newton Federal Bank," Seebaran said. "Newton Federal partnered with the team in 2013 and donated $5,000 to the program. This money was used to purchase uniforms for 23 Explorers.”

To participate in the Explorers program, students must be in high school, maintain good grades, have no criminal history, and want to pursue a career in law enforcement. For more information, contact Seebaran at 770-385-2144.